One in a Million
by Just Around the Corner
Summary: If you have 999,999 Lotion Flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and One Peppermint, there's always one chance you'll get the Peppermint...one in a million


One in a Million  
  
It was funny to see them, the both of them, struggling with their emotions. Hermione was always the level headed one, with no struggle, she was always on top of things. It was strange to see her, face pink, staring awkwardly out the window, sitting next to me, just because she didn't want to sit by Ron. What was wrong with her? Did she fear that some strange female hormone might cause her to charge Ron and suddenly seduce him?   
  
Probably.  
  
Ron, on the other hand, was worse. If possible, he avoided eye contact with Hermione. In fact, he avoided all contact with Hermione, which stopped the arguments. I have to admit, their banter was somewhat amusing from time to time, but could get fairly annoying. I hate to admit it, but I sort of miss it now. I almost feel like starting up a rally between them, just for the fun of it. But what would that do? It'd only make things worse, if possible. Was it possible?  
  
Probably.  
  
Well, it made me uncomfortable too. I mean, this was the last train ride we'd ever have together, why not make it a happy one? They were supposed to talk, yet they weren't. It was awkward. Would it be better if I left them alone? No, then they'd just feel even more awkward. This wasn't working out very well. Was it possible for them ever to be just Ron and Hermione again?  
  
Probably not.  
  
"So..." I said, making a stupid attempt at conversation.  
  
"So?" Hermione said, glancing at me.  
  
"So talk!" Luna said across from me. "Its bad enough you and Ron can't admit that you like each other, it's worse if you don't talk."  
  
"That's stupid." Ron mumbled.  
  
It was breif, it was rare, but I saw a look of hurt flash across Hermione's face as she turned her attention back towards the window.  
  
"Nothing's stupid." Ginny said, yawning. "Except maybe Ron."  
  
"Whatever." Mumbled Hermione sleepily.   
  
"Something wrong, Hermione?" I asked her.  
  
"I'm just tired." She said.  
  
She wasn't tired. She had that feeling, that feeling like you wanted to climb under your covers and cry yourself to sleep. Believe me, if you've known Hermione as long as I have, you know when she wants to cry. She's kept it in all these years, and sometimes I worry about her. How long can a person keep in their tears before it gets the best of them? My prediction was that Hermione would have a nervous breakdown before she'd express her feelings to anyone, except maybe Ginny. But, would Hermione actually confess them to Ron?  
  
Probably not.  
  
"So, we made it." I said, desperate at conversation. "Seven years of Hogwarts and we're still alive."   
  
"Miraculously." Ron sighed.  
  
"It's an accomplishment. We should get an award of some sort."   
  
"Please, we already have six trophies each in the Hogwarts Trophy Room." Hermione said. "We'll go down in History as the Terrible Trio and we've a whole chapter in the new and revised edition of Hogwarts, a History."  
  
"She has a point." Ginny huffed. "Neville, Luna and I never got any credit."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "What WERE they thinking when they put Trio? Three?"  
  
"You are such a git!" Ginny growled.  
  
Hm, Ginny is pretty cute when she growls, the way her red hair seems to get even brighter and her freckles seem to pop out. The way her perfect blue eyes flare with an anger at her brother, but still express that deep feeling of love hidden somewhere in there.   
  
I'm a little off topic here.  
  
Anyways, back to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Luna, would you trade seats with me?" I asked her.  
  
"Why?" Luna asked, not looking up from her magazine.  
  
"I'd like a window seat." I said.  
  
"Oh, right." Luna said. "But I prefer the window. I can read better."  
  
How could she read? Her bloody magazine was upside down!  
  
"Then, Hermione could sit in the middle and you could sit at the window." I said. "If you don't mind, Hermione." I added quickly.  
  
I could tell, she could tell, everyone in the whole bloody world could tell that Hermione did mind sitting so close to Ron, especially for the fact that these seats weren't exactly built to seat three at a time on them. Especially three seventeen year olds.  
  
"It's fine with me." Luna shrugged.  
  
"Er--sure." Hermione said, unable to find a logical excuse to stay by the window.  
  
Perfect. Ron and Hermione left exposed with nothing in between them. Ron and Hermione scooting together so that they touched. Physical contact.   
  
"Harry you devil." Ginny whispered.   
  
I flashed her a breif smile. Ron made an effort not to notice Hermione scooting close to him. But, his flaring ears seemed to give him away completely. Ron sat there, looking at the door, as if begging someone to open it and take him away. Hermione, stared at her shoes, as if suddenly fascinated by them.  
  
Well, by some strange miracle, the door did open. And, who stepped it in, do you think? Who else?  
  
Draco Malfoy.  
  
"A bit crowded in here, wouldn't you say?" He asked no one in particular. "Halflings, Purebloods and mudbloods all in the same room."  
  
Ron shot up from his seat.  
  
"What's your problem, Weasley?" He looked past him to Hermione, who was glaring daggers at Malfoy. "Surprised they'd let mudbloods graduate. It's a pity, Mudblood had so many oppurtunities to die, it's sad she didn't. Would've made the world a better place, wouldn't you say, Weasley?"  
  
Ron did have a temper problem, I must admit, especiallly when someone made fun of his financial situation. Or Hermione. It was mostly Hermione, though. If someone called him a Peasant, he'd usually just walk by them and trip them. But, if someone called Hermione a mudblood, well, all hell broke loose, to put it lightly. Hermione was always agitated whenever Ron had to protect her from Malfoy, but he couldn't control it. He was in love with the bloody girl, for God's sake! Malfoy's grin held this sarcastic air that made you just want to punch all his teeth out. It was as if his very smile was taunting you. And when you add "Mudblood" to anything he says, you could count on Ron being there, ready to beat the crap out of Malfoy. But the question at hand was, would he do it?  
  
Definately.  
  
"Go away, Malfoy." Hermione said firmly.  
  
"Mudblood, I don't have to do what you say." He said.   
  
"You choose." Ron said, his voice dangerously calm. "You can scurry away like the little ferret you are, or you can stand here and wait for your nose to be broken."  
  
"Ooh, I'm so scared." Malfoy smiled. "I thought you were too good for Mudbloods, Weasley. Purebloods and Mudbloods don't mix well."  
  
Well, what do you think I did? I got up, and I held Ron back, with Nevile's help. He was tall, much taller then the both of us, and he was ready to kill. He was going to kill Malfoy, if we let him. He had his wand in his hand. Hermione took it from him and stuck it in her own robes.   
  
"I'll kill him with my bare hands!" Ron was shouting.  
  
Hm, where have I heard this before?   
  
"Calm down, Ron!" Neville said.   
  
"Well, I see I'm done here. Goodbye mudblood." He said, grinning.  
  
Hermione looked rather peeved at Ron, when he had regained his calm and sat back down. She turned away from him, her face pink with either anger or embarassment, no one could tell. Ron ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Hermione.  
  
"Could I have my wand back?"  
  
"What's your problem?" She asked him angrily.  
  
Ron looked at her blankly.  
  
"I didn't ask you to do that." She said, gritting her teeth. "You could've hurt yourself."   
  
"So you'd rather let him call you--" Ron hesitated. "Call you 'that name'? "  
  
"It's just a damn name, its only a name, it'll only ever be a name, it doesn't mean anything, Ron! It doesn't mean anything to me, Ron!"  
  
"Well, it should!"   
  
"Well, it doesn't."  
  
I take it back, I didn't really miss their bickering.   
  
"I wasn't about to sit down and watch him verbally abuse you!"   
  
"Why not? It was my problem, not yours! Why not just leave it be!"  
  
"Because--" Ron stopped. "Because your my friend, that's why!"  
  
"Harry's my friend, too." Hermione said. "And he didn't assault Malfoy like a brainless ape!"  
  
"Maybe that's the difference between us then!"   
  
Please don't drag me into this...I prayed. Please please please....  
  
"Maybe I'm just not good enough to protect you!"  
  
"Ron, that's not what I said!"  
  
"That's what you meant!"  
  
"How do you know what I meant?"  
  
"How do you know what YOU mean?"  
  
Hermione looked defeated.  
  
"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I cared!" He said, sitting back down, looking at the door again.   
  
"Fine!" Hermione's voice was cracking.   
  
She got up and stormed out of the compartment, into the hallway.  
  
"I wish you two didn't have to bring me into your arguments." I muttered.  
  
"Do you want an apology, too?" Ron said angrily.   
  
"No, I'm fine." I said.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Well, it might've been an hour, it might've been fifteen minutes, but Ron got up.   
  
"I'm going to the bathroom." He announced.  
  
"Mm hm..." Luna responded.   
  
Just as he was about to open the compartment door and step into the hallway, Hermione opened the door, her eyes bloodshot and the angry expression from her face gone.  
  
She whispered something I suppose only Ron could hear and threw herself onto him. It was a bit strange to watch, since Ron was taller then Hermione and she had to jump up to get her arms around his shoulders. Ron looked surprised and awkward at first, but put his arms around her and smiled.  
  
Now I remember! I loved the way Ron and Hermione bicker because of the way they always make up afterwards!  
  
Why can't they see, they're perfect for each other!  
  
Hermione sat back down, next to Luna while Ron made his way to the bathroom. She looked satisfied, happy, and not awkward at all. Was it Ron that made her that way?  
  
Definately.  
  
~-~-~-  
  
Awkwardness returned, however, when Ron came back and sat down. I saw Hermione scoot closer to Luna, who was cramped as it was. Luna shot her a look of annoyance. Ron sat down, staring at the door again.   
  
Much to everyone's dismay, the train slowed and came to a stop.   
  
~-~-~-  
  
Ron was off the train, waiting for us. Hermione stood at the bottom stair of the door, looking at the sidewalk nervously.   
  
"What's wrong?" I asked her.  
  
She shook her head. "Nothing, I was just thinking." She sighed and hopped off.   
  
Well, what do you expect? Her foot got caught on something on the train stairwell and she fell. Of course, she didn't hit the ground, because who do you suppose was there to catch her? Ron was, of course. He'd been looking away at the time Hermione had fell, which either meant that he had been watching Hermione the entire time or that he had eyes in the back of his head. Was Ron always watching Hermione, in case he needed to protect her?  
  
Probably.  
  
It was funny to watch, Hermione stumbling. I couldn't see her facial, expression of course, because I was behind her, but she fell into Ron's arms. It was perfect, like those old American movies where the girl is weak and feeble and stumbles off of her stagecoach into the arms of her cowboy. And then, they ride off into the sunset together. Ron and Hermione, they weren't exactly in porportion, if you know what I mean. Hermione was headstrong and stubborn, not at all giggly and feeble like the girls in the movie. Ron, was no cowboy. He was too skinny and clumsy, and lacked the oh so important cocky attitude that always reeled in the girl. What are the odds of Hermione and Ron riding off into the sunset together, hopelessly in love?  
  
One in a million.  
  
The thing I love about "one in a million" is that there's always that one. That one chance that is there. I mean, you know your not going to get that one chance, but you can always hope because there is a one. It's not like, a None in a Million chance, because there is no hope at all. But, with one in a million, you know that there is that chance, however small and insignificant it may seem, it's still there. It's like if you have a nine hundred and ninety-nine Lotion flavored Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans and you have one Peppermint in the bunch, there's always that chance you'll get the Peppermint.   
  
Er--what was I saying again?  
  
Right, about Ron and Hermione.   
  
Hermione looked cautiously up, as if ashamed by her clumsiness.   
  
"S-sorry, I don't know how I could've been so stupid." She muttered, quickly pulling away from Ron and shuffling about two feet away from him.  
  
The thing you have to love about Hermione, is that whenever she makes a mistake, she's always going to try to evaluate what she did wrong, why she did it and how she'll do everything in her power not to do it again. Well, I've got some news for her, she can't evaluate love. I know that I'm no expert on matters of the heart, but when it comes to Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, you might as well burn all of your books and become a dentist, because there is no understanding those two. None at all.   
  
Zero in a Million.  
  
I stepped off of the train, careful not to trip on what Hermione did, I didn't want to have Ron catch me too. That'd be a little awkward, even though he is my best friend.   
  
Well, instead I gave him a sly smile, as if knowing what he was trying pull on Hermione. He gave me a blank look, and then turned red, turning around.   
  
~-~-~-  
  
"Well, Luna, I guess this is Goodbye." I said to her.   
  
She looked up tentatively from her magazine and smiled her trademark Luna Lovegood smile.  
  
"Mister Potter, I've learned a lot from you."   
  
"You have?" I asked, blinking.   
  
"Yes." She closed her magazine. "And its that, even if your famous, you don't have to be a heartless, rude, crummy person."   
  
"Well, er--thank you?" I said.  
  
She smiled and laid her magazine on her trolly humming 'Weasley is our King' softly. She began to push the trolly down the platform, towards the gateway that would lead her back to the Mortal Realm.  
  
"Luna!" I called after her.   
  
She turned around. "What?"  
  
"Luna, I've always wanted to know..." I said, scratching the back of my head. "Why do you hold your magazine upside down all of the time?"  
  
She looked surprised for a minute and smiled. "Because, I'd like to see the world in a different perspective then the average person. Not everything in this world is black and white, Mister Potter."   
  
~-~-~-  
  
I hated it. I hate the way those two are awkward with each other. This was probably the last time the three of us would be together in years, and here they were, refusing to talk to one another because they were too ashamed, too embarassed or too stupid. It made me mad. I almost wish they hadn't fallen in love in the first place. Things would've been simple, we would've had one of our play fights here on the platform and had an emotional goodbye, and left feeling good about ourselves, feeling as if we'd accomplished something. I almost wish that those two hadn't even had feelings for each other in the first place.  
  
Almost.  
  
"Well, this is goodbye, mate." Ron said, smiling at me.   
  
I hate it when people cry. Especiallly me. It's kind of hard to say goodbye to the people that relieved your life of hell and made things seem good and welcome and bright. It's kind of hard to tell them that you hope they have a nice life, because you think, how can their life be nice, if you're not in it? And then, you kind of hate yourself for being so selfish. And that's what I did. I hated myself for being so selfish to them, refusing to talk to them during Fifth Year, refusing Hermione's motherly advice, refusing Ron's helping hands. All they ever wanted to do was make my life better.   
  
Self pity is an awful thing.  
  
"Yeah." I said, glancing at Hermione.  
  
She was already crying, no words had been said, nothing had been said, but she was crying. And if you've known Hermione as long as I have, you'll know that she'll only cry if someone (or something) is about to die that was close to her or if she's failed every subject she'd ever taken at Hogwarts. And if you've known Hermione as long as I have, you'll know, that if she's crying, then you ought to cry as well, because its something well worth crying over.   
  
And so I did.   
  
I don't care if Malfoy was watching from behind me, calling me a sissy boy and Potty. These were my two best friends, and I had a right to show emotion and a right to cry. He may have only had two big, dumb sidekicks that probably had the brains of slugs, but I had friends.   
  
"Harry..." Hermione said, wrapping her arms around me.   
  
She was shorter then me, by about three inches. People often said that Hermione and I would make the perfect couple. I loved her with all of my heart, but in a different way. It was as if she was my sister. She was my sister, for all I was concerned. They say friends are the family you can choose, and I chose her. I would never hurt Hermione, and I'm pretty confident she'd never hurt me, except for the occasional slap on the back of my head to wake me up when I fell asleep during homework or during one of her lectures.  
  
"You take care, Harry." She said quietly.   
  
She slipped something into my hand when she pulled away. I looked at it. It was one of her S.P.E.W. badges. She'd given up on the orginzation during Sixth Year, it had been confiscated by Snape, who found all of her woven hats and clothes and dumped them into the lake. Her badges, he burned them. Hermione, was heartbroken and wouldn't leave the library for weeks. She must've gone through a lot of trouble to get one of her badges back. I looked at the badge proudly and closed my fingers around it, smiling at her.   
  
She put her hands on my shoulders and kissed my cheek.   
  
"Don't overwork yourself, Harry." Ron said.  
  
Okay, so Ron hugged me too. It's not that I'm gay, really. But I hugged him back. He was my best friend. I think I'm obligated to hugging him back. Sticking by me through thick and thin, not troubling me with his problems when I would've liked to heard them. Still being my friend after I was a selfish git for about a year.  
  
This really was goodbye.  
  
Sure, I had rehearsed it in dreams, I had seen myself hugging Ron and Hermione, saying goodbye and leaving with Lupin, thinking about how many letters I'd be receiving from them over the course of my life. I had almost felt the emotions that would come along with the goodbye. But, somehow, it was different. It was like a freight train was carrying them away forever, and I'd never see them again. It sounds stupid and paranoid, I know, but that's what it felt like. I mean, these two people would've loved me, even if I had become the second Voldemort!  
  
Knock on wood.  
  
"Well..." I said to them, raising one eyebrow expectantly. "Aren't you two going to say goodbye?"  
  
"Oh." Ron said quickly, turning to Hermione. He smiled awkwardly. "Goodbye, Hermione."   
  
"Goodbye, Ron."   
  
It was too formal for best friends.   
  
Ron extended his hand and she took it. They shook hands. What kind of goodbye is that? You'd expect Ron to tell Hermione how he felt, especially since he wouldn't see her for a few years.   
  
But what could I say? It wasn't up to me to tell one how the other felt. Only they could do it.  
  
Hermione clutched her trolly and gave one retreating smile to Ron and I, before slowly progressing down that platform, towards the solid brick wall.  
  
"Ron, you idiot!" I said angrily.   
  
"What?" He said innocently.  
  
"Why didn't you tell her?"  
  
"Because, she doesn't love me back."  
  
"You don't know that!"  
  
"I do! Who would be stupid enough to fall in love with dumb, poor, regular Ron Weasley?"  
  
"Ron!" I said.   
  
Lupin strolled over to Ron and I, smiling calmly. He nodded towards me, but addressed Ron.   
  
"This reminds me, of a time when Sirius was in love."  
  
It hurt to talk about Sirius.   
  
"Her name was Narcissa."  
  
"Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed.   
  
"Yes, that was her. And, they stood on the platform. Both of them, were ready to be loved by one another. But neither, admitted it. So, Sirius let Narcissa walk away, out of his life. He was upset when Lucius took her, but he couldn't really blame anyone but himself, you know." Lupin said.   
  
"Oh..." was all Ron said.   
  
I looked to the platform. Hermione was still there, standing. She looked at the bricks, as if they would somehow answer all of her questions.   
  
And then, she whirled around to stare Ron straight in the eye.   
  
She left her trolly siting there and stormed right up to Ron, to look up to his face.   
  
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron asked her, shakily, backing up.   
  
"I'll tell you what's, wrong, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione said, the tears coming down her cheeks. "All of my life I've been careful, I've been cautious! I've always thought everything through before I acted!"  
  
"Is that a bad thing?" Ron asked her.   
  
"Yes, it is!" Hermione almost shrieked. "I've been afraid of getting hurt, I've been afraid of being alone, so I avoided anything that would ever jepordize our friendship. I avoided anything that would possibly cause me pain."  
  
Ron was looking quite dazed.   
  
"All my life," her voice was soft now. "I've wanted to do something out of the ordinary, something completely reckless and audacious."  
  
Hermione made a strange movement, as if she was going to turn back towards her trolly and leave Ron standing there, by himself.   
  
She turned back around and shoved Ron to the brick pole behind him. It was ironic, horribly ironic, that a little girl Hermione's size could shove the Quidditch Keeper against anything. Ron was pretty strong, even though he was terribly thin.   
  
Hermione clamped his shoulders in her hands, and a breif hesitation passed over, before she leapt up and mashed her lips with Ron's.   
  
Well, I'll be damned!  
  
Well, it was an eternity before Hermione pulled apart form Ron, breathing heavily.   
  
"B-bloody hell." Ron whispered.   
  
Hermione was on the verge of tears, as if not believing what she'd just done.   
  
"I-I'm sorry. I'm terribly sorry. I don't know, how I could've, I'm sorry..." Hermione said, turning back around and shuffling to her trolly.  
  
Well, did you expect Ron to just stand there and watch her go? Not even Ron is that daft.   
  
He grabbed her arm as she was escaping. He whirled her around to look at him. His stare was hard and meaningful as he looked at her. He finally broke a smile and leaned down to kiss her on her lips.   
  
Well, I'll be damned!  
  
~-~-~-  
  
I'd love to tell you that Ron and Hermione got married a year later and now Hermione is expecting her first child, but that'd be a lie. Yes, a flat out lie. I know, it'll probably eventually happen in the future, but for now, Ron and Hermione are just dating, and I don't think poor Ron will have the bravery to propose just yet. Well, who knows? Hermione might just be the one to do it. After all, she was the first one to kiss him. I love telling this story, because its not like those old Western film. I mean, that NEVER happens in real life. Ron and Hermione, their story is one in a million. Whoever thought? Ron and Hermione!   
  
Well, I guess, when it all comes down to it, you have to trust your instinct and follow your heart, just like Hermione. Of course, I admire her for that, whoever thought a bookworm would turn into a--whatever you would call Hermione. But, if you look at it directly, there was always a chance for Ron and Hermione. it was obvious to everyone but them. Just one chance.   
  
One in a million.  
  
FIN. 


End file.
